Fence charger



July 30, 1957 H. B. SAUNDERS FENCE CHARGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2, 1954 Fly-Z //,,,,,%:f;;2% BY (PM L 1% Af/omey H. B. SAUNDERS FENCE CHARGER July 30, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2, 1954 INVENTOR. Henry 13 fay/idem (PM 5L 1 Af/omey FENGE GHARGER Henry B. Saunders,'Warrenville, lll., 'assignor, by mesne assignments, to Electronic Specialties (10., Inc., Batavia, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June 2,1954, Serial No. 434,039

Claims. -(Cl. 307132) This invention relates to a fence charger and in particular relates to certain improvements in the mechanical construction thereof whereby the operation and use of the "fence charger is improved. The invention will be explained in connection with the drawings wherein an exemplary embodiment is illustrated, it being understood that variations 'arepossible without departing from the invention e-x'ceptas defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a schematic view of the fence charger.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a fence charger embodying the present invention, the handle being broken fence charger-illustrating certain novel features of the present invention.

Figure 4-is a perspective detail generally along line 44 of Figure "3 to illustrate the mounting of the movable contact.

Figure -5'is a front view of. a new-testing means useful in'the secondary circuit of a fence charger.

Figure 6 is a viewpartly insection along line 6-6 of Figure 5.

The fence 'charger'embodying the present invention is of-the typehaving a step-up transformer whose leakage flux is relied upon for energizing abalance wheel type control switch. The balance wheel type control switch is disposed in=theprimary circuit of the transformer and serves to control the energization thereof. As a rule, chargers of thetype to Which this invention relates are energized from 110 volts 60 cycle power line or from a battery, any charges,such as illustrated here for example, have suitable switching means and may be energized selectively from a battery or power line as desired.

The output of -'the transformer is impressed upon a fence to be charged and the potential is usually high enough to providea shock to animals and human beings. In fact, the potential is sufficiently dangerous so that elaborate safeguardsand precautions must be observed in the construction'of a fence charger. As a rule, such constructions must conform to codes and regulations of underwriters laboratories and state or national governments, depending o'n'the country where the fence charger isused.

Referringto Figure 1, the charger is housed in a metal housing generallyindicated by 10, said housing to be described in detail later. Suitably supported in'housing 10 is step-up transformerl12 having primary 13 and secondary 14. The transformer core is generally grounded to-the case as illustrated. Transformer 12 has grounded electrostatic shield 15 consisting of a sheet of metal so that incase 0f transformer breakdown, the 110 volt power line can not be directly impressed on the fence.

Transformer primary 13 has terminals 17 and 18. Terminal 17 is connected by wire to movable contact 20 of one switch section. Moveable contact 20 is adapted to cooperate-with fixed contacts 21 and 22 for either power line or battery operation. Cont-act21 is! connectedto one 2,801,350 Patented July 30, 1957 alternate position cooperating with fixed contact 28.

Fixed contacts 22 and 28 are connected to battery leads 29 and 30 for battery energization.

Terminal 18 of the transformer primary is connected to one pole of condenser 31, the otherpole of which is connected to wire 32*going to movable contact 27. Wire 32 is also connected to stationary spring contact 34 to be described in detail later. Cooperating with spring contact 34 is balance wheel contact 35 operated by balance wheel 36, also to be later described. Balance wheel 36 is provided with the usual coil spring which serves to connect 'the balance wheel to terminal 18 of the transformer primary.

Transformer secondary 14 is provided with terminals 38 and 39. Terminal 38 is connected to wire 40 while terminal 39 is connected to junction point 41. Junction point 41 is connected through dropping resistor 42 to output wire 43. Wires 40 and 43 form the output for the fence charger. Resistor 42 preferably has a value of the order of about'10,00'0" ohms and serves to drop the potentialacross the charger-output to a safe, low value in the-event of a short circuit across wires 40 and 43. Wire 43 is connected by wire 44 to movable contact 45 of a third switch section, movable contact 45 cooperating with fixed contacts 46 and 47 of this switch section. Fixed contact 46 is dead and contact 47 is connected by wire 48 to point-41. Wire 48 has a metal shield connected to wire 44. Movable contact 45 is grounded to the metal housing. The movable contacts 20, 27 and '45 are ganged together and are shown in Figure 1 in the power line operating position. In the other position of the gang switch, the charger will be connected for battery operation.

Housing 10 of Figure 1 consists of sheet metal such as sheet steel, for example, the housing having bottom portion 50 and top portion 51. Bottom portion 50 has the topedge bent to form outwardly extending flange 52. Top portion 51 of the housing has its edge bent to form outwardly extending flange 53 and downwardly extending edge portion 54. As is clearly evident in Figure 3, edge portion 54 is adapted to overlie flange 52 of the bottom part of the housing. The top and bottom parts of the housing may be bolted together by bolts 56 at a number of places such as, for example, at the corners as is illustrated in Figure 2. Instead of bolts, rivets may be used to provide a housing which will prevent the owner of the charger from tampering with the mechanism.

Housing portions 50 and 51 when attached together as illustrated in Figure 3 are sufficient to form a complete tamper-proof housing for the fence charger proper. It is desirable'to provide an additional housing portion for more convenient handling of the entire fence charger as well as to contain a battery if that is desired. To this end, auxiliary housing'60 is provided, this housing being so designed as to support the fence charger at the flange portions of housings 50 and 51. Auxiliary housing 60 has top edge portion 61 adapted to lie within the inside surface of downwardly extending edge portion 54. Edge portion 54 and portionfil ofthe auxiliary housing are provided with registering apertures on opposite sides of the housing, these registering apertures accommodating support portions-63 of wire handle 64. Wire handle 64 3 extends from one side of the housing to the other side. The wire handle is formed of stiff steel wire but may be sprung to release the handle from the housing. Support portions 63 of the wire handle are long enough to pass through the registering apertures in auxiliary housing 60 and top housing 51 so that as long as the handle is in position as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the support portions of the handle will maintain the auxiliary housing 60 locked to top housing portion 51. The switch for changing from battery to power portion may be provided with finger piece 66 (see Figure 2), the finger piece and switch being carried by lower housing portion 50, the finger piece, however, extending through a slot in auxiliary housing 60. Thus when auxiliary housing 60 is separated from the remaining charger housings, the fence charger will be complete and operative. In the event that the fence unit requires servicing or shipment to a factory,

the unit disposed within top and bottom housing portions i V 50 and 51 may be maintained intact While removed from auxiliary housing 60.

Referring to Figure 3, it will be observed that the charger mechanism is supported in lower housing portion 50. Transformer 12 and condenser 31 are supported by suitable means in the customary fashion. In addition thereto, the customary balance wheel mechanism including balance wheel 36 is insulatingly supported from bracket 68. As illustrated in Figure 1, balance wheel 36 is connected to terminal 18 of the transformer primary and electrically is above ground. Balance wheel contact 34 is also above ground as illustrated in Figure 1.

Balance wheel contact 35 cooperates with spring contact 34 supported on spring arm or reed 70. Spring arm 70 must be of ferromagnetic material since it is operated by the leakage flux from transformer 12. Spring arm or reed 70 may be supported at its end and bending or rocking of the arm is relied .upon for obtaining the desired balance wheel action. Bracket 68 supports bolt 71 carrying coil spring 72 attached thereto as by being coiled around the bolt head. Nut 73 permits vertical adjustment of the coil spring so that the bottom of the coil spring just clears the top surface of reed 70 in the rest position thereof. Other means for mounting reed 70 may be used but in all instances it is convenientto mount reed 70 in a simple manner and make no attempt to insulate reed 70 from the transformer core or any of the metal making up the fence charger.

Contact 34 is insulatingly mounted upon the free end of reed 70. To provide an electrical connection from contact 34, the spring metal ribbon 74 of spring copper or brass or phosphor-bronze is provided, this spring being in the form of a fiat strip as illustrated in Figure 4 and bent to form one complete loop. Spring 74 has part 75 connected to contact 34, the contact being in the form of a rivet metallically and electrically connected to part 75 but insulated from reed 70 by insulating washers 76 and 77. Spring 74 has other end portion 78 connected to rivet 80 insulatingly mounted upon bracket 68. Rivet 80 carries a terminal which is connected to wire 32.

Spring 74 is constructed to provide a weak upward spring bias on reed 70 to maintain reed 70 in a rest position with some air gap between the transformer core and the free part of reed 70. Reed 70 is normally biased either by its weight or attachment so that the reed has a weak tendency to approach the transformer core.

Spring 74 is weaker than coil spring 72. Coil spring 72 is not effective until balance wheel 36 oscillates over a substantial amplitude. The arrangement with spring 74 will make it easier for the charger to start from a rest position and build up a sufiicient amplitude of movement in balance wheel 36 before heavier coil spring 72 begins to be effective. Insulated bumper 80 on the balance wheel is provided to limit the amplitude of the balance wheel.

Referring to Figure 1, wires 40 and 43, which are the output wires, are connected to terminals 83 and 84. As

vfact, at any desired voltage.

illustrated in Figure 2, these terminals are insulatingly mounted in top cover portion 51, the two terminals being disposed preferably on one side of the housing top and spaced a sufiicient distance apart for convenient connecting and disconnecting.

It is desirable to provide means which are simple and effective for testing the fence charger to see that it is operating properly. To this end, there is provided a means including a neon test light which may be readily connected to the high tension terminal or to'the ground terminal to see that the unit is operating properly. The test part of the fence charger, generally indicated by numeral 86, is pivotally secured at 87 to a bolt or other metal member secured to housing top 51 and electrically connected thereto. Test fixture 86 has body 88 of insulating material, preferably a translucent plastic. Body 88 has cavity 89 and is apertured at 90 and 91 as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. Mounting bolt 87 passes through aperture 90 and has connected thereto terminal 92. Aperture 91 of the test fixture has rivet 93 for carrying metal contact clip 94 and terminal 95. Between terminals 92 and 95 is connected small neon test light 96 of any desired construction.

The test light may have any desired gas and is designed to break down at a voltage of several hundred volts or, in Contact clip 94 is shaped so that the sides thereof may be made to touch terminal bolts 83 or 84 if the test fixture is turned to one side or the other. In fact, contact clip 94 may be so shaped that it will fit between the wing nut and lock nut of the terminal bolt assembly and may be locked in either position for an indefinite length of time. Thus the test fixture may be locked so that high potential terminal 83 is grounded through the neon light. If the fence charger is operating and if the test fixture is connected to terminal bolt 83, the neon light will flash each time the charger generates a high potential pulse. If body 88 of the test fixture is of transparent or translucent plastic or has a window, the flashes of the neon bulb will be visible. As is clearly evident in Figures 2 and 6, body 88 is so shaped that the part using the neon test light provides sufiicient area to function as a finger piece so that the test fixture may be moved to any desired position without danger of shock. The neon tube itself is usually small and light enough so that the lead wires thereto will retain the tube in position within the test fixture body.

The test light will indicate if the charger is operating properly. When the neon light is connected to ground terminal 84, then no flashing should occur.

It is possible to dispose the neon light in a stationary mounting upon the housing and simply use the test fixture for connecting and disconnecting purposes.

What is claimed is:

1. A fence charger comprising a metal housing containing the fence charger mechanism, an auxiliary housing having four generally vertical walls and being open at the top, said fence charger housing having an outwardly extending flange with a downwardly extending edge portion, said charger housing resting on said auxiliary housing with the top edge of said auxiliary housing engaging said flange and with the downwardly extending edge portion overlying the top edge of said auxiliary housing and a wire handle engaging registering apertures on both sides of the charger, said registering apertures being in the charger housing and auxiliary housing whereby said wire handle locks said auxiliary housing to said housing while functioning as a handle for carrying the charger.

2. A fence charger comprising a metal housing containing a charger mechanism, said charger having a pair of terminals carried by said housing and extending outwardly therefrom, said terminals being adapted to function as the output terminals of said charger, at least one of said terminals being insulated from said housing and being adapted to carry a high potential, a gas tube test assembly pivotally secured to said housing, at a position between said two terminals, said gas tube having two leads, means for connecting one of said gas tube leads to said housing to ground said gas tube, a metal member carried by said assembly connected to the other terminal of said gas tube and extending laterally toward said two terminals, said assembly being pivotally movable so that the metal member carried thereby can either contact the ground terminal or can contact the high potential terminal whereby the condition of said fence charger will be indicated by gas tube flashes.

3. The charger according to claim 2 wherein said test assembly includes a hollow translucent plastic member with the gas tube disposed in said hollow plastic member.

4. A fence charger of the type having a step-up transformer and balance wheel type control "switch, said balance wheel carrying one switch contact and an arm secured in proximity to said transformer carrying the other switch contact, said arm being adapted to be attracted by leakage flux from the transformer, means for mounting said contact on said arm so that said contact is insulated from said arm and a flat metal spring loop electrically secured to said arm supported contact functioning as a current lead, said spring functioning to bias said arm in a position somewhat spaced from the transformer.

5. The construction according to claim 4 wherein coil spring bumper means are provided for said arm, said bumper being clear of said arm for -a limited range of travel to and from the transformer whereby the balance wheel mechanism may be started readily.

2,626,364 Underwood Ian. 8, 1953 Schilling July 8, 1952 

